In my interview of Vice Chair Rhonda Andrew, Senior Litigation Paralegal at Keker & Van Nest, she shares her unique path to becoming a paralegal and the driving forces in her life: family, faith and a life of service. Education…
LRIS Business Law Center Launches During National Small Business Week
The month of May marks a national celebration of the 28 million small businesses across the country, employers for over half of American workers. In furtherance of this special focus, the San Francisco-Marin Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) will…
Mediator Ron Kelly Receives President’s Award from ADR Association
The Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California (ADRNC) presented BASF member Ron Kelly with a President’s Award at their annual conference in March. This award is presented to reco-gnize excellence and outstanding contributions to the field of Dispute Resolution…
Engage Your Summer Associates in Pro Bono Service with the Justice & Diversity Center
Do you hope to teach your summer associates practical skills and the importance of pro bono work? They’ll learn both through the Homeless Advocacy Project’s (HAP) Summer Associates in Public Service Program. At the same time, your firm will provide…
Scholarship Recipient Selected for Child Welfare Law Summer Fellowship
The Justice & Diversity Center is delighted to report that Luis Beltran, one of the Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship recipients has received the Bergstrom Child Welfare Law Summer Fellowship. This fellowship is committed to inspiring the best and…
Litigator Leverages Firm’s Resources to Provide True Equal Protection
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) recognizes Jennifer Estremera of McKool Smith as our Volunteer of the Month for her outstanding work with our Federal Pro Bono Project. With dedicated volunteers like Estremera, the project provides counsel in federal civil…
Venable Signs on as Newest Leader Circle Firm
The Bar Association of San Francisco would like to welcome Venable LLP to its Leaders Circle family. With close to 20 attorneys in its San Francisco office, Venable specializes in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual…
Legal Writing Tip: Keep a Usage Guide Handy
The art of persuasion is about the effective management of words. Speaking or writing compellingly requires a strong command of language. Lawyers would do well to learn to use it precisely and accurately. With that goal in mind, don’t be…
Justice & Diversity Center Awarded Largest Cy Pres in its History
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco recently received the largest cy pres award in its history. JDC received $800,000 as part of the conclusion of a settlement of multiple cases filed in California…
BASF Welcomes Bay Area General Counsel to Annual Dinner
On March 30, BASF held its 3rd Annual Spring General Counsel Dinner, sponsored by Leader Circle firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Leaders of corporate legal departments representing a variety of well-known brand names were in attendance, ranging from the Golden…
Seven Tips for Civil Attorneys for When Your Clients Are Under Criminal Investigation
Many civil attorneys believe that they have nothing to offer their clients in terms of advice and counsel when it comes to criminal investigations or charges. Here are seven tips, for any civil practice solo or small firm lawyer representing…
O’Reilly Didn’t Factor This In
Fox News’ anchor Bill O’Reilly, who regularly asserts that the crime rates in African American communities are due to the “disintegration of the African American family,” just lost “residential custody” of his children to his ex-wife, Maureen McPhilmy. The website…